Repeater for ttndtjlatory currents



W. WILSON.

REPEATER FOR UNDULATORY CURRENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-21,1917.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

/Hvenf0/: Wi/fiam Wilson.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAiM WILSON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEWJERSEY, Assicnoa TO WESTERN ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, INCORPORATED, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIONOF NEW YORK.

To all-wh-om'z't may concern: Be it known that 1, WILLIAM WILsoN a subject of the-King of Great Britain, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Repeaters for .Undulatory urrents, of which i thev following is a full, clear, concise, and

exact description. This invention relates to improvements in repeaters for undulatory currents, and the primary object is to reinforce current waves of any given frequency-or form.

{The present invention consists of an evacuated vessel containing an anode, a

cathode and a perforated electrode whichv completely divides the. space between the anode and the cathode. This auxiliary electrode is. inserted to prevent the formation between'said anode and cathode of an are or glowing discharge characteristic of positiveionization,ias the formation of such an arc or glow discharge renders the device inoperative onv account of the inability to control it bythe currents to be reinforced. However, ifthis auxiliary electrode is included in the tube the luminous are forms between the auxiliary electrode and the anode, but not between the cathode and the auxili ry electrode. The currents to be reinforced are, inthe usual tubes of this type, such as that in the reissue to Von Lieben and Reisz, 13779, July 21, 1914, impressed directly, upon said auxiliary electrode,thereby giving rise to correspondin variations in the arc current, duetothe c anges produced by said electrode upon the effective resistance of the are. a a

I It is known that the sensitivity and amplifying-power .of such a device is greatly increased by decreasing the distance vbetween ,said auxiliary electrode and the 1 catho'de, but experiment has shown thatfor a given voltage for the arc current this distance cannot be decreased beyond a certain minimum value without causing the arc to strike through? the auxiliary electrode ,to the cathode, thereby, destroying the action of thegtube. as heretofore explained.

. This invention therefore provides a more sensitive and eflicient means for controlling the arc current in accordance with the cur- Specification of Letters I atent. Patentgd Aug. 1922, Application filed March 21, 1917. Serial No. 156,276.

outgoing line or upon transmitting terminals tobe amplified further, or they may be transmitted to any suitable receiving apparatus.

.Furthermore, as this additional electrode does not function to divide the space between the anode and the cathode into a luminous and a non-luminous portion, it may be brought into any desired proximity to the cathode without producing the deleterious efiect noted above when the-auxiliary electrode is similarly moved.

For-the better understanding of this invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings,-in which Fig. 1 represents one embodiment of this invention; and Fig. 2 illustrates how this invention may be employed to amplify low frequency currents.

In Fig. 1, 3 is a glass vessel containing a vapor or gas at a fairly low pressure. 4 is a cathode filament and 5 isan anode plate. 6 is an auxiliary electrode which completely divides the space between said anode and cathode.- 'In this plate are'small perforations or apertures 7 of suitable size, the function of which willbe hereinafter described. 8 is a plate electrode in close proximityto the filament 4 and serves to control the action of said filament.

The filament 4: is shown supported by :the two lead wires 13 and 14 and theadditional supporting wire 15. These wires are insulated from the plate 8 by the insulation members 10, 11 and 12. The auxiliary electrode 6 is shown supported by a protuberance in the glass stem 22 which projects into the interior of the vessel. The anode 5 is fastened near the upper end of said stem. The lead wire 17 t0 the anode 5 is shown to be encased in an insulating tube 18 in order to insure the complete insulation of the Wire from the other lead wires. These *above mentionedelectrodes, however, may be sup ported in any suitable manner 'and'mayfbe of any suitable form.

The apertures of such a character that the striking throu h of the arc to the cathodejis prevente ,but at the same time are such as to afford a passageway to thefthermionic discharge from the cathode, so that the gas between electrodes 5 and 6 maybe ionized to thejdesired degree. y

"In the application of this invention, as illustrated lIL-Flg; 2,25 is. a source of current for the anode fi and the auxiliary elec trode 6, between which electrodes a aluminousdischarg of anlarclm ay be formed.

26 j isga battery for heating the filament/i to such a 'degreethat there will be sufficient ionizationwbetween the auxiliary electrode andythe anodetoprovide for the desired luminousjdischarge The" amount of this discharge, and, consequently, the conduc tivity between the auxiliary electrode and l the ;an0de-is dependent uponthe ionization v as producedyby' said cathod'e. Forwa given I value of thebattery" 26 the thermioniceemlssionr of the cathode also depends upon the potential of the control a electrode v8, "the means ofthe transformer 32, may be impressedfupon a suitable receiver33or upon anysuitab'le apparatus Clesllfidf In order to increasethetherinionic dis 5 'ch ar e offsaid'cathoda a battery 2'7 is pro vide' betweenthe'filainent 4 and the auxi'b iary electrode 6, the negative terminal F of the] battery 25*isgenerally large" ene ain the neighborhood of-two hundred volts, it ispreferablethat the direct current iror the batter 25 sh ll not pass through primary winding 34 0f the transformer 32, as thecurrent' may" be l'arge enough te magnetize thi winding to a con:

siuerabieextem, therebypreventingit from perform hg'iits proper function; large eo deirsei aa -isg therefore, in erted to rey:

vent -the i direct current from passing throu h; saidinding, ybiut ofiering a aegis,

g-ible'qna edance a the oscillations in said current, :36 is choke coil for afiording 7 ofthe electrode Gare potential of Said tween said I Sathode and an easy path for the direct current comalternating 't'zu'rrent, however, cannot pass through said-choke coil onaccount-of its high impedance.

It is obvious that this invention' 'i's not WVhat is claimed is: a v 1 1. A discharge device comprising. axtube operating" with. a luminous discharge and having anfianode, a cath0de,'.a control-electtrode, andxaniaperture'd screen, said screen ponent between electrodeso and 6.;The I limited to the applicationillustrated in Fig. 2, but'maybe" usedin any suitable manner in'any electric system in which it desired to reinforce oscillations of any frequency 'orform, a

dividing the spacebetween saidanode and J cathode into; separate-parts and having-ta size substantially, the same as a press-section of the tubeat thew'point; wherethe screeniis located. r

2,In:an{electricalsystem' a device comprising a tube having an anode, a cathodeya control electrode ini'close prox imity to said cathode, and" a perforated elec trode dividingthe space between said anode and cathode, saidlpenforatedelectrode being 1 vsubstantiallyiolfthe same size =as-a cross sec tion of; said 'tubetj; lien at ap'oi t' i here said perforated electrode is located.

3; In "an electric system a vacuum tube comprising two' elec'trodes meansfor producing" a luminous dischargebetween said electrodes,- apcathode adaptedto control said as luminous discharge, and control electrode for said cathode whereby said luminous discharge may be variedjina ccoifdancewith-the n rol jelectrode f and means for supplying a 'vari-able potential be;

trode. 111

d whee as:

@ l. A; thermionic discharge tub'ecojnpris ing,a n*'evacuated-vessel,'saidvessel con'taina ing an anode, n auxiliary co'lcl electroda a thermionic cathode ada pted -to alte r'the con ductivity between 'said anode and auxiliary i electrode,"and'acontrolelectrcde adapted to regulate the thermionic discharge offsaid cathode in a' pifedete rniind manner," said auxiliary electrode being of. siibstantially'the' same size' as a cross sectionfof'said; tube taken at chemist wliere saidauxilia-ry' elec trojde is located: 5

Inflanelectricsystem a discliarge devi eft co prisingambs, said cdnta-ining a gaseous med1um,: "a'n anode, a ther'mionlc cathode ,an'dY'an ai IXiIiaEry electrode, s'aid auxiliary electrode perforations andfint'ersecting'the between said cathode and anode; electrical connections between saidauxiliaryelectrodeandsaid cath odef andine'answithin" aid-ytube andiexteriill -to; an auxiliary c trodejfforf control: hag the thermionic?"discharge from said cathode in accordance with signals to be rm peated, the distance. between said external means and said cathode being less than the distance between said auxiliary electrode and said cathode.

6. A discharge device comprising an evacuted vessel, saidvesselcontainingi a gaseous material at a low pressure, an anode, athermionic cathode, an auxiliary cold electrode adapted to divide the space between said cathode and anode into a luminous and a' non-luminous part, and a control electrode adapted to control the thermionic discharge from said cathode in accordance with signals to be repeated.

7. In an electric system a discharge device com )risin an evacuated vessel. said vessel containing an anode, a cathode, a perforated cathode, a control electrode, and a perforated electrode between said cathode and anode, a

source of voltage between said anode and.

cathode, and means for maintaining saidl perforated electrode at a potential intermediate the potentials of said anode and said cathode, the distance between said perforated electrode and said cathode being greater than the distance between said con 40 trol electrode and said cathode.

9. A vacuum tube comprising an anode, a filamentarycathode, a control electrode and a screen electrode, a source of voltage between said anode and cathode, said screen electrode being adapted to divide the space between said anodeand cathode into a luminous and non-luminousportion, and means for maintaining said screen electrode at a potential intermediate the potentials of said anode and said cathode.

10. In an electrical system, a vacuum tube comprising an anode, a filamentary cathode, a third electrode for controlling the electron emission from Said cathode in accordance with signals to be repeated and means for dividing the space between said cathode and said anode into a luminous and nonluminous portion.

11. In an electric system a vacuum tube comprising an anode, an electron emitting electrode, means comprising a third electrode for controlling the emission of said electrode, and means comprising a screen electrode for preventing substantial ionization in the space near said cathode,

nescence from 12f1nan electric system a vacuumtube comprising an anode, a cathode, means comprising a third electrode for controlling said cathode, a source or" voltage between said anode and cathode, a portion of the space between said 'anode'fand cathode being luminous, and means .for preventing said lumiappearing in the region of said cathodef 13. A vacuum tube having an anode, a

cathode, an auxiliary plate electrode, a source of voltage for said tube, and means whereby the space between said anode and said cathode is divided into two portions in which occur dissimilar discharges.

14. A vacuum tube having an anode, a cathode, a control electrode for said cathode, a screen electrode between said cathode and said anode, means-for heating said cathode, an external circuit between said anode and cathode comprising a source of voltage and an impedance device, said screen electrode being connected to an intermediate point in said circuit in such a manner v"that said source is also included between said screen and said cathode, and a circuit between said cathode and said control electrode containing a source of steady voltage and a source of variable voltage.

15. A vacuum tube having an anode, a cathode, a control electrode for said cathode, a fourth electrode located between said cathode and anode, a source of voltage be-- tween said anode and cathode, and means for maintaining said control electrode and said fourth electrode at a'positive potential with respect to said cathode.

16. A vacuum tube comprising an anode, a cathode, a control electrode and a screen electrode, an external circuit between said anode and cathode containing a source of voltage and a winding of a transformer, said screen electrode being connected to an intermediate point in said circuit, an external circuit between said control electrode and said cathode containing a winding of a transformer, and means for maintaining said control electrode at a positive potential with respect to said cathode, the distance between said control electrode and said cathode being less than the distance between said screen and said cathode.

17. A vacuum tube containing a stem projecting into the interior of said tube, and a plurality of discs of conductingmaterial symmetrically supported by said stem as an axis.

18. A vacuum tube containing a stern projecting into the interior of said tube, a plurality of parallel disc electrodes in said tube, each oi said discs lying in a plane at right angles to said stern, and each of said discs being symmetrically supported by said stem.

19. A vacuum tube containing a plurality of disc electrodes and a glass-stem attached tow the .b aseof seid tnbe vand projecting through the. center of each of said discs, whereby said discs may be supported.

20.'I1i an electric system, a vacuum tube comprising an anode, an electron emitting electrode, a third electrede for controlling the electron emissicn in .eccordance with signals to be repez tecl and means for dividt ing the space between said electron emitting ieeeeol tween said third electrode and said cathode.

. Inwitness whe'reofll hereunto subscribe 15 iny name this 20th day of March A. D 191?. 

